Florida International Hires Alejandra Fuentes as Head Diving Coach
Florida International on Tuesday hired Venezuelan Olympian Alejandra Fuentes as its head diving coach. Fuentes joins the staff of head coach Randy Horner after two seasons as the head diving coach for the men’s and women’s teams at St. Bonaventure.
“I am very excited to start working with the Panthers, and I look forward to contributing to the team’s success,” Fuentes said in a press release. “This is a great opportunity to grow professionally while supporting our student-athletes and being part of a dedicated, competitive environment.”
Fuentes was the Atlantic 10 Women’s Diving Coach of the Year, leading Dhavgely Mendoza to a pair of conference springboard titles and the program’s third Atlantic 10 Women’s Most Outstanding Diver Award. Both Mendoza and 2026 A-10 1-meter runner-up Ben O’Neill reached NCAA Zone Championships in 2025.
“From the start, I wanted to make sure we found the right person for our program, not just someone to fill the position,” Horner said. “It was important to find a coach who believes in our one-team culture, builds strong relationships and truly cares about helping student-athletes grow both in and out of the pool. Alejandra showed us all of those qualities throughout the process. Her coaching experience, international background and passion for developing athletes make her a great fit for FIU, and we’re excited about what she will bring to our program.”
Fuentes competed internationally for Venezuela, representing the country at the 2000 Olympics in Sydney. She also competed in the FINA World Championships and the FINA Grand Prix circuit.
As a coach, Fuentes spent seven years as an assistant for the Venezuelan national team. She was the head coach of Alpha Diving Club in Seattle as well as coaching at the high school level.
